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Teacher reads resignation letter, alleges age discrimination and retaliation; board hears district-funds questions
Summary
During public comment at the May 19 Apache Junction School District board meeting, a second-grade teacher said she had resigned and alleged discrimination by the superintendent; the board also discussed a district M&O balance flagged as negative pending reconciliation and deferred final action on that report.
Joanne Garrett, a second-grade teacher at Four Peaks Elementary, used the public-comment period of the Apache Junction School District governing board meeting on May 19 to read a letter announcing her resignation and to raise accusations about district treatment.
Garrett told the board she submitted a resignation that began the prior Saturday and said she had been placed on an improvement plan this spring ‘‘for no apparent reason’’ after two years of excellent evaluations. She said district human-resources staff had not told her whether she had a contract for the next school year and alleged discrimination by Superintendent Dr. Pappalardo, citing her age and her placement at the top of the district pay scale. Garrett also said a preapproved second-grade field trip was canceled by the superintendent and that she felt ignored in follow-up communications.
In her remarks she said, “stick a fork in me, I'm done,” and asked the district to take responsibility for how staff are treated. The board did not take immediate personnel action during public comment; transcript shows no direct response from the superintendent or a personnel follow-up announced at that time.
Separately, during the information and discussion portion of the meeting, Mrs. Lane pulled the district funds report from the consent agenda to ask why the M&O (maintenance and operations) budget control fund showed a negative balance of roughly $3.7 million on the report she reviewed. District staff explained that a budget reconciliation had been run and that end-of-year entries would bring the balance to zero when accepted by the county; the board deferred final approval of that report until finance staff could be present to answer follow-up questions.
Board members later proceeded with other agenda business, approving several contracts including a five-year ParentSquare renewal and athletic agreements. The meeting adjourned after the board approved a Chartwells food-service agreement and other items.
The resignation and the M&O accounting questions will likely prompt follow-up from district administration and finance staff; no formal board personnel action on Garrett’s claims was recorded in the meeting transcript.
